The Crime of Bathsheba Spooner

Good evening. This is Crime Classics. I am Thomas Highland. Listen, the man in nondiscript uniform dropping stones into that well is a mercenary soldier, more recently a deserter. He's testing the depth of the well, the only way he knows, since the length of rope is not immediately available, and more complicated machines are as yet undiscovered.

This is the year 1778 and the deserter is named James Buchanan. Next to him is his friend, another deserter whose name is William Brooks. These men are in the employ of Mrs. Bathsheba Spooner of Brookfield, Massachusetts, whose well it is.

Mrs. Spooner will pay these men immediately they deposit the body of her murdered husband right down there. And tonight my report to you on the crime of Bathsheba The first woman to be tried for murder in the United States.

Crime classics. A new series of true crime stories taken from the records and newspapers of every land from every time. Your host each week, Mr. Thomas Highland, connoisseur of crime, student of violence, and teller of murders. Now once again Thomas Island.

The place is Brookfield, Massachusetts, the year 1778. Seen? The home of Joshua and Beshibah Spooner. A large and respectable dwelling, two stories in height. Situated on the north side of the road from Brookfield to Worcester.

In the front of it, a nearly opposite on the south side of the road are stately elms. And a well. And in the living room, there's this. manner of woman are you about fever there's no content in you and no happiness and what happiness have you given me a life that dies quickly cooking and sewing and from you drunk